


Beautiful Tropical Fish

by GemmaRose



Series: Voltron Mer AU [2]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Merpeople, Cuddling & Snuggling, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, M/M, Massage, Sleepy Cuddles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-18
Updated: 2017-12-18
Packaged: 2019-02-16 15:30:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13056837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GemmaRose/pseuds/GemmaRose
Summary: Newbie Week is rough on everyone, especially the poor sod who has totrainhalf the new recruits to the city guard. Good thing his husband is already home, and more than willing to make him feel a little better.





	Beautiful Tropical Fish

**Author's Note:**

  * For [chatonfils](https://archiveofourown.org/users/chatonfils/gifts).



Shiro flicked the door shut behind himself with his tail, and as soon as he was sure he hadn’t caught his fins in it _again_ he went limp. A soft laugh reached his ears, and he groaned as he twisted to glare at his husband.

“New crop of guards giving you trouble?” Matt asked, uncurling from where he’d been perched on his favourite ledge reading a book. The light shimmered on the pearlescent patches on his forearms, and Shiro was reminded again of his half-formed plan to buy Matt a set of orange coral bangles which would accent them.

“Like you wouldn’t believe.” he grumbled.

“You say that every year.” Matt chuckled, setting down his book and pushing off the wall to drift over towards Shiro. He overshot, and before he could correct it Shiro caught him by the wrist. A yank had them both spinning, and Matt twined their tails together rather than stopping their motion. Shiro ducked his head against his husband’s shoulder, and Matt sighed as he rubbed his hands over Shiro’s upper back.

“Once these guys are trained enough for you to leave them to someone else, we’re taking a vacation.” he declared as they finally sank to the sandy floor.

“I can’t just take a vacation.” Shiro objected as Matt pulled away to look down at him.

“You get paid time off. You can totally take a vacation.” Matt’s slightly sandy fingers brushed over his jaw, and Shiro leaned into the gentle touch. “The Princess has plenty of other guards to keep her safe while you and I go somewhere.”

“Where would we even go?” Shiro asked, smiling slightly despite himself. Matt was so adorable when he was determined, or thinking hard, or any time really. Deep Ones, they’d been together for years, even before being married, and he still could hardly believe Matt had agreed to spend the rest of their lives together.

“Anywhere. We can go to the station and get on the first tram out of town, visit another city, go somewhere new.” Matt was beaming now, excitement lighting his face, and Shiro’s chest ached with affection. How was he supposed to say no to a face like that?

“Alright.” he agreed, wrapping his arms around Matt’s waist and pulling the smaller merman down on top of him. “But that won’t be for a few weeks, so how about we put that enthusiasm of yours towards something else?”

Matt grinned, and pressed a quick little kiss to Shiro’s cheek. “I’ve got an idea for that.” he unwound his tail from around Shiro’s, and with a flick of his beautiful orange-and-pearl fins he was off towards their bedroom. Shiro chuckled, and fought down a grimace as he pushed up off the floor. The first day was always exhausting, and only partially because it entailed leading them through every single drill dozens of times over. The other part came from the fact that he always got stuck training the teenagers. He brushed the grit from his scales, and made a mental note that they needed to turn the flooring soon. Maybe this weekend he’d bug Matt into helping him do a general clean-up, they’d both been too busy lately to pay enough attention to little chores like that.

When he entered the bedroom, he found Matt waiting with his tail folded under himself and an open book on the bed at his side. It didn’t look mermish. “What’s that?” Shiro frowned, and Matt grinned.

“A gift. The new shelver at the library gave it to me.”

“I hope he knows you’re spoken for.” Shiro grinned, settling on the mattress next to his husband. Even if it was technically contraband, as long as Matt hadn’t put himself in danger getting his hands on it Shiro didn’t care very much.

“He does.” Matt smiled, and leaned in to press his lips to Shiro’s gently. “How could he not, when I have your marks all over me?”

Shiro felt himself flush, and Matt laughed. “But the book isn’t the idea, it’s just a guide.” he said, giving Shiro a gentle shove. “Lie down on your front.”

“My front?” Shiro raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah, c’mon.” Matt pushed at him again, and he obliged by tilting until he settled sideways on the bed. “I promise, it’ll feel really good.” his lips pursed in a small pout, and Shiro sighed.

“Alright, I trust you.” he said, and turned so he was lying on his chest, arms at his sides.

“Okay, now...” Matt trailed off, and a second later there was a pillow being held in Shiro’s face. “Here, rest your chin on this and wrap your arms around it.”

“Okay.” Shiro did as he was told, and Matt vanished from his view again. Another few seconds later he felt his husband’s tail settle next to his, and then Matt’s hands settled on his sides. The tips of his fingers dragged along the skin just under his gills, and Shiro’s breath hitched. Matt’s hands slid down, until the heels of his palms were sliding over the fine scales at the top of Shiro’s tail, and then he started bringing them together, sliding them towards the small of Shiro’s back. He flared his dorsal fin to make sure it didn’t get caught, and let his eyes drift shut as Matt’s hands ran up the middle of his back, thumbs gliding over his spine once his hands passed Shiro’s dorsal fin.

He parted them at Shiro’s shoulders, bringing them out across the tense muscles and then down his sides, skirting around his gills just close enough to make him shiver but not close enough to be called foreplay. He dragged his hands back in once they reached Shiro’s scales again, but this time didn’t pull them all the way together. Instead, he brought them up just next to the previous path they’d traced, then out across the same stretch of his shoulders and back down his sides. Despite the strangeness, Shiro found himself relaxing. Matt’s hands were soft compared to his own, scarred slightly around the fingertips from experimental spells gone wrong and lightly calloused from the tools of his trade.

“I’m thinking of taking on an apprentice.” Matt said as he brought his hands up next to Shiro’s dorsal fin again, this time applying some pressure. “One of the teens this year doesn’t have a master lined up, and I’ve been there long enough.” he gentled his touch as he brought his hands back down, and kept it light as he brought them back in across Shiro’s scales. “What do you think?”

Shiro hummed, opening his eyes slightly as Matt’s hands dragged up his back. “An apprentice is a lot of work.” he said softly. “And weren’t you waiting to take your sister on? She’ll be applying before you’re done with whoever this is.”

“True.” Matt sighed, a gentle disturbance of the room’s currents. “But I like this kid. He’s a bit of a loudmouth showoff, but he’s got talent. Power, too. I’ve never seen anyone make a light that bright from the testing spell.”

Shiro hummed noncommittally as Matt’s hands kept moving across his back, now pressing a little harder on each upstroke. “It’s hard to tell on the first day, but I think I might take one of the new guards on myself.” he admitted.

“Oh?” Matt dug the heels of his palms in slightly as they passed over Shiro’s shoulder blades, the pressure feeling almost better than a turn in the vent-heated rooms he usually used after training.

“Mmhmm.” Shiro nodded, relaxing as Matt curled his hands and pressed his knuckles to the backs of his shoulder blades. “He defected from-” he paused to yawn, then moaned softly as Matt’s hands kept working the tension out of him. “Another city.” he continued, mumbling slightly and not much caring. “Gotta be sure he’s loyal an’ all.”

“Makes sense.” Matt agreed, and Shiro hummed as his husband’s hands kept working across his upper back. Lifting his tail, he draped it over Matt’s about halfway down and tucked the very tip of his under Matt’s fin. As tail locks went it was shitty, but it was the best he’d get while Matt was focused on something else.

He was on the verge of drifting right off to sleep when Matt’s hands left his back entirely, and he whined at the loss of contact. Only for a second though, because then Matt wound their tails together properly and pressed against his back. “Roll onto your side?” he asked, and Shiro complied. Matt slid an arm over his waist, and Shiro snuggled back against him. “Love you.” he mumbled, and Matt’s quiet laughter reverberated through his chest.

“Love you too, Taka.” Matt pressed a kiss to the side of his head.


End file.
